The Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Medicine in Treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the crucial chronic diseases that seriously endangers the health of residents in China. There is a complex mechanism of the pathogenesis of COPD, and no specific drugs are currently available to reverse the progressive decline in lung function during the natural course of COPD. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) not only alleviates clinical symptoms, but also leads to fewer adverse reactions. However, the mechanism of action of TCM in COPD treatment remains unclear.

AIM

To summarize the mechanisms of action of Chinese herbal compounds and natural drugs in the treatment of COPD and identify potential signaling pathways and targets that can provide preclinical evidence for the treatment of COPD.

METHODS

Literature was retrieved from the scientific databases PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal from July 2007 to December 2023.

RESULTS

This study introduced the specific pathways, targets and mechanisms of TCM in treating COPD from the perspectives of inhibiting inflammation, reducing oxidative stress, and regulating autophagy.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a comprehensive summary of the theories of Chinese medicine in treating COPD, which utilize multiple targets and pathways to display the advantages of Chinese medicine. This lays the foundation for further exploration of pathways related to Chinese medicine for the treatment of COPD.